HIGHTSTOWN — Councilman Rob Thibault erased speculation Tuesday by filing to run as an independent in the borough mayoral contest, offering a challenge to the Democratic and Republican picks for that post.

Thibault’s three-year council term was set to expire at the end of this year but he had not sought re-election to that position, to which he was elected as a Democrat in 2011.

In April, Thibault engendered some criticism from Hightstown Democratic Committee Vice Chair Walter L. Sikorski who publicly questioned Thibault’s motive for suing the town and recovering a $200,000 settlement over an incident where a police officer ticketed him without justification.

The four-year term of Mayor Steve Kirson, 65, expires Dec. 31. Tuesday was the filing deadline for independent candidates hoping to run in the Nov. 4 general election.

Though he was originally elected to council as a Democrat, Thibault, 57, changed his party affiliation after “having looked at the two candidates from two parties” and decided “voters need someone with both experience and accomplishments,” he said.

“The problems that Hightstown has faced and does face are made worse by politics, and I have worked with Democrats and Republicans both,” Thibault said. “I make decisions based on what’s best for public, not what’s best for the political party, and so that’s why I’m running as an independent.”

Thibault has been known to change political parties. Thibault ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for mayor in Hightstown in 2010, advocating for consolidation of the borough and East Windsor police departments, a decision that could have cost officers their jobs.

It was then, in August, when police Sgt. Ben Miller—then a detective — pulled Thibault over and ticketed him for driving on a suspended license based on a traffic ticket issued in North Carolina of which Thibault was unaware. The North Carolina ticket was later revealed to have been issued in error, the license was restored and a North Carolina judge expunged all charges.

Thibault filed suit in 2011, and in October 2012, a judge ruled that Miller targeted Thibault by specifically running his motor vehicle history and writing the wrong court date on Thibault’s ticket, hoping he would be arrested for missing the hearing.

The borough unanimously voted in April to pay Thibault a $200,000 sum to settle the lawsuit.

If elected, Thibault would “continue on improving code enforcement and making it more fair,” he said.

“Right now there are some property owners treated better than others, and I would continue to work out an end to that,” he said.

Thibault also hopes to finalize negotiations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and insurance companies to decide the fate of borough hall, which hasn’t been used since August 2011 when it was damaged by Hurricane Irene.

Quattrone, 72, is a 14-year councilman whose term expires in 2015. He confirmed his mayoral run in March, when Kirson told The Times he supports Quattrone’s bid to succeed him.

The two squared off against each other in the Democratic primary in 2010, both hoping to succeed Robert Patten, a Republican, as mayor of the borough.

Quattrone did not return a phone message left for him Tuesday night for comment about Thibault entering the mix. Mair could not be reached Tuesday night.

Democrats Susan Bluth, currently serving as council president, and Sikorski, a former councilman, are facing off for three-year council seats against Republicans Charles “Lee” Stults, vice chairman of the borough’s planning board, and 22-year-old Connor Montferrat, a 2009 Hightstown High School graduate pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and economics at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

Local attorney Seth Kurs, a Democrat, filled the vacancy created by former Councilwoman Gail Doran’s resignation from the borough council in April. His term expires Nov. 4.